Hyerdahl3 wrote:
> The History Channel Presents 'FOUNDING MOTHERS'
>
> NEW YORK, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- You've heard of the Founding Fathers
and
> Founding Brothers, but it's time to tell the story of the Founding
Mothers.
> Based on the amazing tales of women such as Abigail Adams, Martha
Washington,
> Esther Reed and others, it's safe to say that most of the men who
wrote the
> Declaration of Independence, fought the Revolution, and formed the
United
> States government couldn't have done it without the strong women
behind them.
> The women of colonial America influenced the Founding Fathers in ways
not
> always captured by the history books, doing everything from
encouraging amiable
> discourse amongst themselves to defending their homes against British
soldiers
> while the men were off at war. They were special women living in
extraordinary
> times, and now, in honor of Women's History Month, The History
Channel(R)
> brings you FOUNDING MOTHERS, hosted by Cokie Roberts and airing
Sunday, March
> 6, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
>
> FOUNDING MOTHERS, based on the New York Times bestseller by veteran
news
> journalist Cokie Roberts, explores the contributions of the many
women who
> helped shape the United States of America. During the early days of
civil
> unrest in the colonies, the women insisted that the men come together
for
> civilized conversations at dinner parties, helping keep the fragile
new country
> from falling into fatal partisan discord. In short, the women made
the men
> behave.


   There is no question that the Womenfolk of the Revolution were a
strong support for the great adventure. They also did not hate their
husbands and sons who did all of the dying.


Some took even more active roles, like Benjamin Franklin's wife
> Deborah, who tended to the family's print shop in Philadelphia while
her
> husband played politics for years at a time in England. Later, at age
fifty-
> seven and in defense of her home and children, she would face down an
angry mob
> upset at her husband's perceived support for British taxation.
>
> The individual stories of courage during trying times are many, but
FOUNDING
> MOTHERS also brings to light the incredible way that American women
banded
> together to support the revolution in every way they could.

   They were especially noted for their complete absence of a
gag-reflex.

 When the British
> sought to impose taxes on its tea in the colonies, the women gave up
their
> favored drink for months at a time.

    See above.


 When British goods necessary to make
> clothing were boycotted throughout the colonies, the women took up
sewing and
> made their own, eschewing comfort and fashion to support the pursuit
of
> liberty.

   And wearing far less covering than before. Viva la Revolution.


 During the war, Esther Reed led cost-cutting and fund-raising efforts
> that raised more than $300,000 in a few short weeks to aid the
starving and
> under-equipped rebel troops. John Adams made no secret of his
reliance on them
> in the struggle against the British.


   The truth is, they were not so much struggling against the British
as they were struggling to be given the chance to be like the British.

 He wrote to his wife Abigail, "I must
> entreat you, my dear partner in all the joys and sorrows, prosperity
and
> adversity in life, to take part with me in the struggle."


   And spread your legs a little wider.

   "What would be the point of the Revolution without general
copulation?"

    J. P.Marat 1804.



>
> Perhaps most inspiring of all, though, are the tales of bravery on
the
> battlefields during the eight-year-long Revolutionary War. Martha
Washington
> left her sprawling Virginia estate to work tireless hours tending to
sick
> soldiers during the long winters at Valley Forge and Moorestown.
Deborah
> Sampson and Molly Pitcher even earned full military pensions for
their efforts,
> a huge departure from the norms of the time. FOUNDING MOTHERS shares
these and
> other tales of bravery and dedication that deserve the same
recognition that
> our Founding Fathers have earned through history. The men have gotten
their due
> ... and now the women will, too. Join us for FOUNDING MOTHERS on The
History
> Channel.
>
> Executive Producer for The History Channel is Margaret G. Kim.
FOUNDING MOTHERS
> was produced for The History Channel by ABC News Productions.
>
> Now reaching more than 87 million Nielsen subscribers, The History
Channel(R),
> "Where the Past Comes Alive(R)," brings history to life in a powerful
manner
> and provides an inviting place where people experience history
personally and
> connect their own lives to the great lives and events of the past. In
2004, The
> History Channel earned five News and Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and
previously
> received the prestigious Governor's Award from the Academy of
Television Arts &
> Sciences for the network's "Save Our History(R)" campaign dedicated
to historic
> preservation and history education. The History Channel web site is
located at
> http://www.History.com.
>
> SOURCE The History Channel
>
>
> 02/01/2005 13:13 ET
>
> Copyright =A9 1996-2005 PR Newswire Association LLC. All rights
reserved.



--- UseNet To RIME Gateway {at} 2/4/05 2:19:42 AM ---